The Southern Tour

Follow the Yellow Brick Road
October 19th-November 3rd



It was a bit surreal when we landed in NYC, got our luggage, and headed to the curb to catch a cab to our friends’ Bryan and Julie’s apartment in the city. We just did not want to believe our journey was over. I think most people who have spent an appreciable amount of time in Europe would agree you come back a changed person. Everything about the big city and big lights no longer seems appealing and you yearn for the simplicity and comfortableness of life in Europe. We were no exception.

Nevertheless we were home and prepared ourselves for our three week southern tour. We spent a few days with Bryan and Julie. They were in the process of packing up to move back to Wydaho and we helped them complete their bucket list of new restaurants. Then we were off to Philly to pick up our truck at my sister’s house. My parents drove over from Cleveland to spend some time with us since we were unable to meet them in Florence.

We had planned to leave on Friday but the weather started to turn on us so we decided to spend one extra day in Philly. Unfortunately the weather continued not to cooperate so we had to take off in a torrential downpour. We mapped out our route with our newly acquired Garmin GPS unit given to us by my parents. I do not know how we made it across the United States without that “purple line” to follow.

Luckily while we were passing through Gettysburg the rain stopped for a brief period and we were able to visit the National Military Cemetery. During the walk we saw where Lincoln gave his famous speech and the National Monument dedicated to the soldiers. Thankfully we took our umbrella because it started pouring during our stroll. With the grey skies and stormy conditions we decided to cut our day short and spend the night in Virginia just over the Pennsylvania border. Due to our delayed start out of Pennsylvania and shortened drive we had quite a haul to make it to Asheville the next day.

We wanted to take the back roads through the Shenandoah National Park and stop to do a hike. The drive through the mountains with the array of fall colors made the long day worthwhile. Roby was wide-eyed and in complete amazement as he saw for the first time the reds, yellows, and oranges. The colors only intensified when we went for our four mile hike. It was a “religious moment” for Roby.

As we continued down the parkway we decided to take a detour, why not add a few more hours to the trip, and we headed toward Charlottesville Virginia to see Monticello. The ride up to the Museum was incredible with the continuation of fall colors and gorgeous southern plantation homes. We walked through the visitor center and presentation gardens but unfortunately we were unable to tour the home and main garden. The next tour was going to be at 4:30 pm which would last at least two hours and we still had 4 more hours to drive to reach Asheville. Twist our arm to make us come back to this area!!

Although we still had a long ride ahead of us we were so excited to be heading toward Asheville. It was a long awaited stop on our trip as the town is one we may be considering for our next landing spot. We have read so much about the area and been told by many people how great it is. It was now time to see for ourselves. Also, we were going to be celebrating our lucky 13th anniversary so we were splurging on a really nice hotel across from the “real” Biltmore estate. We pulled into town at about 9:30 pm and spent our first night at a Super 8. Once the sun came up we were eager to explore the city. Luckily the weather was cooperating and we had another perfect fall afternoon. The town did not disappoint. A perfect sized community with a great downtown area revitalized with new shops and great unique restaurants. North Carolina next to Oregon sports the most independent brew pubs. After a tour of mainstreet we checked into our “luxurious hotel”. Once we stepped into the room, we looked at each other and said “Score!” The room had a full kitchen, a bath with a huge shower and double sinks, a raised king sized bed with special linens, and a large flat screen tv. We could easily live here. Although we wanted to spend all our time in the room we forced ourselves to take a ride on the Blue Ridge Parkway. Good thing we did. Spectacular is an understatement. The road winds through the Smokey Mountains and the trees were at peak fall colors. After a short drive we stopped and found an old forest service road system where we went for an incredible bike ride. The trail was covered in fallen leaves and the sunlight peered through the canopies of the oak trees. We were so excited to be back on our bikes except when we had to ride back uphill to the car. Three weeks of eating and drinking was catching up to us.

With big smiles on our faces, we headed back to the hotel, took an incredibly hot shower and then headed out for Happy Hour at “Jack of the Wood” Brewery. We learned about the Irish Car Bomb- Guinness with a shot of baileys dropped into the beer. You have to drink it quickly otherwise the baileys will curdle. While hanging out at the bar we had another “one night stan”. Neil was a transplant from Knoxville Tennessee. We got the lowdown about life in Asheville, and a recommendation for dinner. The Cuban restaurant was happening for a Monday night. With full stomachs we gladly crawled in our warm comfy bed.

Morning came too soon and we milked the room for all we could and even asked for a late checkout. Unfortunately the rain started again so it hampered our visit to the Biltmore Estate. Instead we enjoyed a great bowl of soup and sandwich at the local organic deli. During lunch we discussed how easy it would be to live in Asheville. We loved everything about the town: the size, the quality restaurants, great biking and hiking trails, rafting, climbing, and nightlife. It also is in close proximity to Raleigh and Atlanta in case you want city life. The only thing it is missing is a big ski mountain. Nine out of Ten is not bad.

We finished lunch, said our farewells but not our goodbyes, and headed down the parkway to Atlanta. The entire drive was in the rain. At the crossroad we had to decide if we were heading toward Atlanta or Savannah. Because we could not get a hold of Roby’s high school friend who was working on a movie set in Savannah, we decided to take the shorter route and made the turn toward Atlanta. With the nasty weather and the long drive we still had ahead of us, it turned out for the best we did not go to Savannah. Atlanta was just a stopping point for us with a quick tour of the Olympic Centennial Park, CNN, Turner Broadcasting and Coca-Cola Headquarters. Our goal was to make it to Seaside Florida in the Panhandle early enough to enjoy the day. We arrived around 3:00 pm, turned off the main highway and saw the white sand beaches. The town of Seaside is a well known planned community of the early 90’s and Roby has been studying it for so long he just wanted to see it. It could easily be described as “Pleasantville”. The architecture is all beach type cottages with big front porches on every house. The native landscape fills the pocket parks throughout the community. Built to be pedestrian friendly we took the opportunity to bike the neighborhoods. After a perfect day in Seaside we decided to get a campsite at Grayton Beach State Park . We stopped off at the grocery store and picked up some food for dinner. After setting up camp we went for a quick walk on the beach in the waning minutes of sunlight. We walked for about 2 miles enjoying a beer and the warm breeze. When we got to a point we could no longer see we headed back to the campsite and finished off a pound of shrimp. The mosquitoes started feasting on us so we headed into the tent.

Waking invigorated we decided to get up early and have a run on the beach before we headed out toward New Orleans. With the sun coming up and the gentle breeze coming off the water, the conditions were perfect for our 2 mile run. Being our first form of exercise in awhile, I am sure our marathon friends would be disappointed in our effort. Breathing heavily and the humidity getting to us, we decided to head back to camp. After a quick shower and breakfast we picked up the I-10 and headed toward New Orleans.

We rolled into town about 3:00 pm and immediately met up with our good friends Scott and Katie from Phoenix. They were in town for business and we were so grateful they stayed an extra night just to visit with us. Roby’s sister Theresa and husband Doug also made the trip over from Houston to celebrate Halloween. After a few hours of catching up with Scott and Katie we decided to hit the town. We received VIP treatment with Scott as our guide. He grew up in New Orleans and had worked in the restaurant industry while in college. Scott took charge and led us into a classy bar/restaurant where we enjoyed the local beer Abita and samples of a few local cuisines. The BBQ shrimp was so delicious we were licking the bowl. Our next stop was Felix’ oyster bar. Instead of going to the “famous” restaurant where the line was out the door, we entered the one across the street. It served the exact same oysters for less and had more charm. The best part was the stand up bar where you watched the server shuck the oysters right in front of you and then place them directly on the bar top. No plates needed. After four dozen it was time to enjoy some music. Scott and Katie knew a couple who were part of a classical jazz band playing at the famed Preservation Hall. It is a historic building with a small stage and standing room only. The music was outstanding. You definitely felt like you were in New Orleans. We listened to the first session and then were off again. This time we landed in a bar where we had to sample the famed Absinthe drink. All I can tell you is Roby’s sister Theresa was not be the same after she finished hers. We then ventured to listen to some classic rock bands. Once you get tired of one bar you just ask for a “to go” cup pour the rest of your drink in it, walk outside to the next bar and enjoy country music if you want. At about midnight we walked to the famed Café de Monde to sample the delicious beignets. An amazing scene, the café is packed with people at midnight eating the fresh hot pastries covered in powder sugar. Roby was in heaven and was eating the powder sugar by the spoonful. Unbeknownst to us, this was just a reprieve; we had several more hours of fun ahead of us. Katie and Scott are known for owning the “house of pain” in Phoenix and we were getting the royal treatment. We spent the next several hours dodging the rain by hopping from one venue to another. Around 1:30 am we hit our last stop the carousel bar. Not sure if this was a good idea but we all sat at the bar watching the room revolve. We were unsure of whether it was the bar or just our heads spinning. We finished our drinks and headed to our rooms and clocked out at about 2:30 am. We did New Orleans!

It was not over because the next night was Halloween. Everyone is in costume and the streets are flowing with people but not too crazy like Mardi gras. Roby and I went as ourselves-homeless people but his sister Theresa and brother-in-law Doug were more creative and went as a witch and voodoo doll. The music and drinks continued for another night. Although we did not have our tour guide we managed to find some good food and lively entertainment. The clock struck midnight and Roby and I called it a night.

The next morning we headed out to the 9th Ward to see Brad Pitt’s new project called Make it Right. He is building affordable eco-friendly sustainable homes for the residents. His goal is to build over 150 houses. While we were driving around the neighborhood looking at the cool houses, we were able to still see considerable destruction and dilapidated homes. Quite a surreal feeling as you drive along the streets and you see the ships floating by at about 20 feet above your head demonstrating how low lying this area is. Then to notice that the levee is literally their backyard wall; it was almost too much to fathom what they experienced when it broke. The new houses are being built as post and pier and some are evening going to be floating homes. Hopefully this never happens again.

After our educational tour we did a quick run through the historic district of New Orleans to see the classic Victorian style homes in the neighborhood and experience our last Cajun meal of the famous po-boy sandwiches at Parasol’s- a Diner, Drive-in and Dives restaurant. We made one more stop in Louisiana at my friend Ruby and her husband Bob’s house. They live about an hour and a half outside of New Orleans along I-10 so it was a perfect resting point for us since we did not want to drive all the way to Houston that day. Talk about the quintessential southern home. They have done a remarkable job on renovating the house and filling it with wonderful antiques. Each piece of furniture has its own story and they have collected them from all over the country. It was definitely too short a visit but we had a wonderful authentic Cajun gumbo for dinner and a perfect night’s rest in the most comfortable bed we have ever slept.

Roby woke up not feeling well so I took over the driving. He crashed in the passenger seat while I enjoyed the wonderful scenery along I-10. After 4 hours of driving we took a break in Houston and spent the night with his sister Theresa. The next three days were uneventful and long trying to make it across the state of Texas. I can say I have driven the entire length of the I-10 freeway from Florida to California and I do not need to do it ever again. Roby still was under the weather so it was me, the radio, and the flatland of Texas for 750 miles. We reached Artesia New Mexico and decided on getting a hotel room instead of staying with his sister. Roby did not want to get her family sick. His brother Jaime and wife Bev from Seattle along with his cousins Sam and Dan from Las Cruces and Andrus Texas flew into Artesia to have a mini Snow Family reunion. The annual Bluegrass and Balloons festival was going on while we were visiting. Hayley, Roby’s sister, was in charge of the event so she was able to get us a free ride in one of the hot air balloons. We spent the balance of the afternoon enjoying the music and catching up with the cousins. Toward three o’clock we packed up the car and headed out of town.

After a quick stopover in Socorro New Mexico to see Jaime’s property, we finished the eight hour journey back to Phoenix. We pulled into our friends Scott and Katie’s driveway around 8:30 pm and were greeted with a delicious dinner and a warm comfy bed. We woke the next morning wondering “Who Shot JR”.